Steering and cranking mechanism for motor-driven vehicles.



B. G. RIBLET.

STEERING AND ORANKIN G MECHANISM FOR MOTOR DRIVEN VBHIGLES.

APPLIOATIOK FILED NOV. 13, 1909.

965,014. Patented Ju1y 19, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

B c. RIBLBT. STEERING AND URANKING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR DRIVEN VEHICLES.

APPLICATION TILED NOV. 13, 1909.

Patented July 19,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

BYRON 0. alarm, or new Yoax, n. Y.

STEERING AND GRANKING- MECHANISM FOR MOTOR-DRIVEN VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 18, 1909. Serial No. 527,888.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BYRON C. Rmnn'r, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of the boron h of Manhattan, city, county, and State of ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering and Cranking Mechanism for Motor-Driven Vehicles, of which the following is a speci fication.

M present invention, which relates to crankm' g and steering mechanism for motor driven vehicles of the as engine type, has for its objects, first, t e production of a more convenient arrangement of engine cranking device to permit the cranking of the engine from the car and avoid the disagreea 1e feature of cranking the engine from the ground; second, a more convenient arrangement of steering gear to facilitate the entrance and exit from the vehicle; and third, the production of a combined cranking and steering mechanism having the above stated advantages, and the further advanta es of simplicity and compactness.

In or er that my invention may be fully understood, I will first describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings and afterward point out the novelty more particularly in the annexed claims.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the forward part of a motor driven vehicle having my Improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail vertical longitudinal sectional view, showing the telescoping engine crank shaft and steering post. Fig. 4 is a detail end view of the same, lookin at the crank and steering wheel. Fig. 5 1s a detail front view illustrating one form of driving connection between the cranking shaft and the en ine crank shaft. Fig. 6 is a similar view 0 a modified form of said I driving connection. Fig. 7 is a detail longitudinal sectional view, and Fi 8 is a detail transverse sectional view s owing the connection between the extensible steering post and one of the steering gears.

For the pur ose of illustrating my invention, I have s own more or less diagrammatically the forward part of a -motor driven car in which the chassis 1 of any suitable construction supports a gas engine 2 of any suitable type and is itself'mounted upon the car axles of which the front axle 3 is shown. The gas engine 2 is mounted in vertical position with its horizontal crank shaft 2 extending longitudinally of the car in the usual manner. The front wheels 5 ofthe car are journaled as usual upon the axle trunnions 6 which have knuckle joints 7 with the front axle 3. Arms 8 are rigidly connected with the axle trunnions 6 and project forwardly therefrom and are connected at their front ends by across rod 9 which insures the uniform turning of the steering wheels of the car in the usual manner.

- Formed inte ral with or rigidly connecte otherwise to onev of the arms 8 or one of the axle trunnions 6 is a controlling arm 10 having pivotally connected with it a rearwardly extending rod or pitman 11 pivoted at its rear end with the free end of a rock arm 13 rigidly attached to a vertical intermediate steering shaft 14 suitably journaled in the chassis and car body.

15 represents the drivers seat.

16 re resents the dash-board or a part of the das frame. T I

The intermediate steering shaft 14 has one of its bearings at 17 in front of the dash 16. Keyed to the upper end of the shaft 14 is a worm wheel 18 which is in constant mesh with a worm 19 formed with a longitudinal spline groove 20. This worm wheel 19 is mounted upon a longitudinally extensible hollow steering post 25 having a horizontal spline onrib 26, so that the steering post 25 can be removed longitudinally through the worm 19 and at the same time cause said worm 19 to rotate with it. This hollow steering post 25 is supported in horizontal position upon the car and extends through the main bearing 30 of the dash-board 16. Secured to the rear end of the hollow steering post 25 is the steering wheel 35, which is presented in convenient position in front of the driving seat 15 when the steering post 25 is drawn out orextended longitudinally, and which -is' presented against or close to the dash-board 16 when the steering post 25 is retracted or moved into its contracted position. The first of these ositions is shown in Figsl and 2, and full ines in Fig. 3, and is the position maintained,

while the car is being operated. The second of these positions is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and is theposition of the steering post and wheel when the car is not being operated, and it is desired to aiford ample room for the entrance and exitfto and from the car. This rearward position of the steer- Patented July 19, 1910.

ing post and wheel is necessary for the operation of the cranking device which w1ll now be described.

The cranking shaft 40 is journaled at its forward end in a bearing 41 in the u per end of a suitable support 42 extendin rom the car chassis. --The shaft 40 exten s into the tubular steering post 25 to a oint in rear of dash 16, it being reduced in iameter for about one-half its length toward its rear end as indicated at 40 to reduce the friction between shaft 40 and tubular steering ost 25. This reduction of the diameter of s aft 40 provides the forward end of the shaft as a bearing for the forward end of the tubular steering post, and a small section 40 at the rear end of the shaft as a rear bearin for the post 25, and for the shaft 40. he extreme rear end of the cranking shaft 40 is squared as shown at 40 to receive the squared socket 45 of a removable crank 46.

It will of course be understood that I may provide a shaft and removable crank with any other suitable engaging means.

' At itsforward end, the shaft40 is provided with a sprocket wheel which operates a sprocket chain 51 which operates over a s rocket wheel 52 keyed to a shaft 53 aline with the engine crank shaft 2 and detachably connected therewith by means of any suitable automatic clutch 55, the structure of which is not disclosed but which is designed to automatically free shaft 53 from the engine crank shaft 2 when the engine is running, and to automatically couple up said shafts when the engine is at a standstill and the shaft 53 is driven for cranking the engine.

As shown in Fig. 6, the gearing between the cranking shaft 40 and the clutch shaft 53 of the'engine may consist of a bevel gear 60 upon shaft 40 meshing with a similar bevel gear 61 keyed to the upper end of an inclined shaft 62 carrying at 1ts lower end a bevel gear 63 which meshes with a similar bevel gear 64. upon the shaft 53. In both moved into forward position to of these forms of gearing between shafts 10 and 53, it will be observed that they are in the prqlportion of one to two for the purpose of pro ucing a single rotation of the engine crank shaft for two revolutions of the cranking shaft. 1

It will be observed that the steering post 25 and cranking shaft 40 are mounted coaxially and telescoped to produce a simple and com act structure, said parts servlng to mutua ly sup ort each other, without interfering with t eir functions. When it is desired to crank the engine with my improved arrangement, the steering post is ring the steering wheel 35 close against the rear face of the dash-board and ermit the squared end of the cranking sha 40 to project suffi ciently far beyond the steering post and wheel for the mountin of the crank 46. When the crank is in ace, the engine can be cranked from the oor of the car, two revolutions of the crank causing one revolution of the engine crank shaft, thereby reducing the manual efi'ort and placing the crank in the most convenient position to overcome the compression point of the engine crank shaft. When the en 'ne has started, the crank 46 is removed rom the crankin shaft 40 and the operator takes his seat an draws the steering wheel toward him into convenient position for operating the car.

The advantages of my improved construction, aside from its simplicity and compactness, reside in the rovision for cranking the engine while in t e car, thus avoidin the disagreeable feature found in nearl al cars now in use of cranking the car rom the street, and the convenient arrangement of the steering gear with facility for moving it out of the way upon entering or leaving the car.

What I claim is:

1. In a motor driven vehicle, the combination of the steerin wheels, and as engine having a crank s aft, with the te escop- 111g cranking shaft and steering post operatively connected with the en ine crank shaft and steering wheels respectivel and a crank removably mounted upon sai cranking shaft.

2. In a motor driven vehicle, the combination of the steerin wheels, and the gas engine having a cran -shaft, with a cranking shaft operatively connected with the engine crank shaft, a tubular steering post fitting over and movable longitudinally upon said cranking shaft, an intermediate steering shaft operatively connected with said steering wheels, a worm gear upon said intermedlate shaft, a worm wheel meshing with said worm gear, and splined upon said steering post, and a hand wheel upon said steering post.

3. In a motor driven vehicle, the combination of a body having a seat and a dashboard and a gas engine having a crank shaft, with a longitudinally extensible steering post mounted in horizontal position upon said vehicle and projecting across said dashboard, a hand wheel upon said steerin post presented in convenient relation to sai seat when said post or shaft is extended and presented against said dash board to afford free space in front of said seat when said ost is retracted, a cranking shaft journaled in said extensible steering ost and having driving connection with said engine crank shaft, and a removable crank upon said cranking shaft.

4. The combination, in a motor driven vehicle, of the steering wheels, an upright shaft operatively connected with said wheels, a worm ear upon said upright shaft, a worm w eel meshing with said worm gear, a horizontally mounted extensible steering post telescoping with and splined in said worm wheel, a gas en 'ne having a crank shaft, a cranking sha telescoping with said steering post and having driving connection with said engine crank shaft, and a hand crank removably mounted upon said 10 cranking shaft.

BYRON C. RIBLET.

Witnesses:

LAURA E. MONK, WM. E. KNIGHT. 

